


We All Fall

by Aroomie



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Emotionally Constipated Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Feelings Realization, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Has Feelings, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Loves Jaskier | Dandelion, Hurt, Hurt Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion Loves Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier | Dandelion Whump, M/M, sad/open ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:01:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27792733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aroomie/pseuds/Aroomie
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 23
Kudos: 48
Collections: The Witcher Flash Fic Challenge #011





	We All Fall

Jaskier sat in his pitiful camp, staring at the barely fitting warmth coming off his meagre fire. A strong burst of wind made him wince, curling his shoulders forward in an attempt to block out the cold breath of winter, a fine layer of snow already on the ground. The bard frowned, if he hadn't been so worried about that stupid Witcher and his stupid well being he would be at Oxenfurt by now and sitting comfortably in a room provided to him by the school and giving lectures to less than deserving students. 

Jaskier let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his hands over his face and pulled himself up from his seat on the ground. The sun was already cresting and he wasn't going to be getting any sleep that evening, again, and kicked out the fire. He packed up his bedroll, some cheap thing he had purchased at the nearest town after Geralt had left him to die on the mountain top, the poison that came from Geralt's mouth was never how Jaskier would have guessed their time together would have ended. 

Jaskier shouldered his lute and his pack, heading out in an unknown direction. It didn't matter anymore, nothing did, the pain of having his hearts desire not only picking another but screaming at him with such hatred after Yennefer had protaled off the mountain in a rage, it was too much. Jaskier had created one final composition, "Her Sweet kiss" it was called, a painful story of three people, two of them convinced they were in love, while one blindly followed the other destroyed, the third left behind to follow and love unconditionally while their heart was torn to sunder. 

It didn't take long before Jaskier was lost in his thoughts, sauntering down the road. He got angry with himself when his thoughts came back to Geralt, whispers of Cintra falling, Jaskier had wondered if the princess had made it out safely, if Geralt had gone back for her. She was such a sweet girl, everything Geralt needed but didn't deserve, just like Geralt needed someone to love him even though the Witcher didn't deserve it. Jaskier looked to his side, staring at the river and taking note at how high the waters had risen, runoff from the mountains from snow melting under the heat of the sun, not cold enough yet for the frost to take hold. 

What surprised him was how fast the waters were running, the runoff from the mountains turning the river into something dangerous and angry. Jaskier sighed, rubbing his hands over his face in irritation at yet another thing he had to be careful of in his travels. 

"Ciri!" Jaskier's head snapped up at the voice, staring in wide-eyed astonishment as he saw none other than Geralt, Geralt on top of Roach, riding the poor mare hard. Jaskier noted the Witcher's gaze was towards the river, his eyes wide with concerned horror while Roach galloped dangerously close to the crumbling edge. Jaskier looked down at the waters and his heart jumped into his throat as he saw a young girl, dressed in a royal blue cloak that looked far too heavy to help her stay afloat, her ashen-hair making Jaskier forgo any thought. 

"Geralt!" Jaskier yelled for the Witcher, making him tear his eyes from the waters only a moment to see Jaskier waving at him.

"Jaskier?" Geralt breathed, heart in his throat. He couldn’t' believe the bard was _right there_ , weeks after finding Ciri, making their way to Kaer Morhen, and Geralt wanted nothing more than to find Jaskier. To apologize, to tell the bard how much Geralt had missed him, to confess something that Ciri had learned in only two days that took Geralt twenty years to figure out. Geralt watched in renewed horror as Jaskier dropped his pack, his _lute_ , and jumped into the river just as Ciri rushed past him. "Jaskier!" Geralt screamed.

Jaskier ignored Geralt's voice, the water's temperature making his muscles protest and screamed, only being in the icy waters for seconds. He forced his arms and legs to move, moving faster in the current and caught up to Ciri just before her head went under the waters. 

"J-j-jaster?!" Ciri chittered his name and Jaskier smiled at her as he wrapped her arms around his shoulders, fighting against the current once she had a firm grip around him. 

"Hey princess! So lovely to see you again, what say we get you out of the river, hmm?" Jaskier chirped away, trying to keep his voice high and joyful even with the icy grip of fear rushing through him. He had managed to dig his fingers into the muddy side of the river, gritting his teeth against the cold.

"Jaskier!" The bard looked up at Geralt, smiling as he watched Geralt throw a line of rope down to them, securing the other end on Roach's saddle.

"Cirilla, little cub, I need you to grab hold of the rope. Can you do that for me?" Jaskier asked and Ciri nodded shakily. Her small hands reaching out to grab hold of the rope. "You're doing wonderful, princess, wrap it around your arm- perfect, just like that. Let me just grab the rest of it and--" Jaskier reached for the end of the rope dangling over Ciri's shoulder and his grip on the muddy bank crumbled in his grasp. 

Ciri screamed for him as Jaskier went under, Geralt's muffled voice panicked as he pulled Ciri up to safety. Jaskier could feel the ice-cold water rush into his throat, trying to seep into his lungs, his body twisting and turning in the current. What were seconds felt like an eternity, the waters rushing faster and the sound of water getting louder in his ear when suddenly his arm was grabbed and suddenly he was suspended over a cliff.

"Jaskier!" Geralt called his name and Jaskier coughed up the little water that had made it into his lungs, looking up to see Geralt suspended over the cliff with him, grip on the edge slipping. 

"Geralt…" Jaskier smiled weakly, "lovely to see you, dearest Witcher." He tried for cheerful but came up short as the lump in his throat made him choke. Geralt looked as handsome as ever, white-mane damp against his head and armour dripping with water from the river. 

"Come on, I'm going to pull you up," Geralt said, ignoring Jaskier's attempt at making the situation light. Jaskier's eyes went to Geralt's grip, frowning when he saw every move he made the crumbling ground broke away just that little bit more. 

"Geralt," Jaskier tried to get his attention but Geralt kept trying to pull him up, "Geralt!" Jaskier yelled, finally making the Witcher look at him. Jaskier smiled, the first time in weeks since he first left Geralt's company. "She's a great girl, she'll do wonders," Jaskier said and Geralt's eyes widened. 

"Shut up, Jask. We're going to get you onto solid ground, then find an inn and get you both warmed up," Geralt said, trying again to pull the bard up. They grunted when his grip crumbled just that little bit more, making them drop slightly.

"Geralt," Jaskier said quietly, knowing the Witcher could hear him over the raging waters right next to them, smiling still as golden eyes turned back to him. "I love you. Always just you, but I could never have you, not after Yennefer, I was okay with that. I was okay to not have you, but able to be near you, I… I am sorry I wasn't useful for you," he laughed wetly, "I hope I was useful today." 

"Of course you were!" Geralt yelled to be heard over the waters. "You've always been helpful. Always trying to help me, to help me heal… I was blind to what you've done for me, blind to you," Jaskier frowned, watching as Geralt's golden eyes filled with tears. "I love you, Jask. I do, I'm sorry it took me so long to realize."

Jaskier let out a wet laugh, closing his eyes, then loosened his grip on Geralt's arm. 

"Thank you, Geralt," Jaskier smiled again, tears masked by the water spraying on his face from the falls. "You need to look after her, she needs you," he said, and Geralt frowned hard, trying to tighten his grip on Jaskier's arm now slipping from his grip. 

"She'll need you too! We'll get out of this, we'll get you to an inn, warm you up--" Geralt pulled him up again, his grip loosening even more from the wall and Jaskier took the chance to wiggle his wrist, making him slip more. "I need you! Please, Jaskier, please!" Geralt pleaded, staring at Jaskier with wide panicked eyes.

"It's okay, Geralt. It's okay. Ciri needs you, she's your destiny," Jaskier said and Geralt shook his head frantically.

"I need you to be there! Please, I need you…" Geralt was openly crying, such a rear thing that Jaskier was shocked to see it, the bard smiled still.

"You'll be alright, Geralt," Jaskier said, his fingers barely in Geralt's grip. "I love you," he whispered, staring at Geralt. 

His fingers slipped from Geralt's grip and he was falling, the last thing he heard was Geralt screaming his name. Then everything went black.


End file.
